Paulette Cooper
Encyclopedia
Paulette Marcia Cooper is an American author
who is best known for activism against the Church of Scientology
and the harassment she suffered as a result. Cooper's books have sold close to a half a million copies.
to Belgian parents around the time they were murdered there. After spending years in various orphanages in Belgium
, she was adopted by the Cooper family at age 6 and came to the United States. At age 8, she became an American citizen.
She began her freelance writing career in 1968, after completing a master's degree in psychology
. As a result of her earlier study of comparative religion at Harvard University for a summer, she became interested in religious cults and began studying Scientology/Dianetics
in 1968 in order to write about it.
, came out in 1971; it was a critical exposé of the activities and beliefs of the Church of Scientology.
The book earned her more negative attention from members of the Church, and that same year saw a second lawsuit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court against her by the church. Further lawsuits and countersuits followed throughout the years, totaling nineteen suits from all over the world that Scientology instituted against Cooper, and three counterclaims that she instituted.
, the goal of which was to deter Cooper from criticism of Scientology by having her "incarcerated in a mental institution or jail
or at least to hit her so hard that she drops her attacks." In a previous campaign titled Operation Dynamite the church sent itself forged bomb threats, purportedly from Cooper, using her typewriter and paper with her fingerprints on it; further plans included bomb threats to be sent to Henry Kissinger
. The Church's campaign was discovered when the FBI
raided Scientology offices in 1977 and recovered documents relating to the operation. The Church finally agreed to an out-of-court settlement with Cooper in 1985 in exchange for her discontinuing her legal actions against Scientology.
She is married to television producer Paul Noble. They live in Palm Beach, Florida
in the winter and Fire Island, New York
in the summer. The couple has authored four books together.
awarded her their highest honor, the prestigious Conscience-in-Media Award
. She has also won five other writing awards for her other books and numerous articles on a variety of subjects unrelated to cults.
Media
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
who is best known for activism against the Church of Scientology
Scientology
Scientology is a body of beliefs and related practices created by science fiction and fantasy author L. Ron Hubbard , starting in 1952, as a successor to his earlier self-help system, Dianetics...
and the harassment she suffered as a result. Cooper's books have sold close to a half a million copies.
Early life
Cooper was born in the Auschwitz concentration campAuschwitz concentration camp
Concentration camp Auschwitz was a network of Nazi concentration and extermination camps built and operated by the Third Reich in Polish areas annexed by Nazi Germany during World War II...
to Belgian parents around the time they were murdered there. After spending years in various orphanages in Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, she was adopted by the Cooper family at age 6 and came to the United States. At age 8, she became an American citizen.
She began her freelance writing career in 1968, after completing a master's degree in psychology
Psychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
. As a result of her earlier study of comparative religion at Harvard University for a summer, she became interested in religious cults and began studying Scientology/Dianetics
Dianetics
Dianetics is a set of ideas and practices regarding the metaphysical relationship between the mind and body that was invented by the science fiction author L. Ron Hubbard and is practiced by followers of Scientology...
in 1968 in order to write about it.
The Scandal of Scientology
Cooper's conflict with the Church of Scientology began in 1970 when the Church filed suit against her in British court for an article she wrote that was published in London's Queen magazine. An expansion of this, her first book, The Scandal of ScientologyThe Scandal of Scientology
The Scandal of Scientology is a critical exposé book about the Church of Scientology, written by Paulette Cooper and published by Tower Publications, in 1971....
, came out in 1971; it was a critical exposé of the activities and beliefs of the Church of Scientology.
The book earned her more negative attention from members of the Church, and that same year saw a second lawsuit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court against her by the church. Further lawsuits and countersuits followed throughout the years, totaling nineteen suits from all over the world that Scientology instituted against Cooper, and three counterclaims that she instituted.
Harassment campaigns
Through the years as she continued to expose the Church, Paulette Cooper was the target not only of litigation but of several harassment campaigns including a Scientology campaign known as Operation FreakoutOperation Freakout
Operation Freakout, also known as Operation PC Freakout, was a Church of Scientology covert plan intended to have the US author and journalist Paulette Cooper imprisoned or committed to a mental institution...
, the goal of which was to deter Cooper from criticism of Scientology by having her "incarcerated in a mental institution or jail
Prison
A prison is a place in which people are physically confined and, usually, deprived of a range of personal freedoms. Imprisonment or incarceration is a legal penalty that may be imposed by the state for the commission of a crime...
or at least to hit her so hard that she drops her attacks." In a previous campaign titled Operation Dynamite the church sent itself forged bomb threats, purportedly from Cooper, using her typewriter and paper with her fingerprints on it; further plans included bomb threats to be sent to Henry Kissinger
Henry Kissinger
Heinz Alfred "Henry" Kissinger is a German-born American academic, political scientist, diplomat, and businessman. He is a recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize. He served as National Security Advisor and later concurrently as Secretary of State in the administrations of Presidents Richard Nixon and...
. The Church's campaign was discovered when the FBI
Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency . The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...
raided Scientology offices in 1977 and recovered documents relating to the operation. The Church finally agreed to an out-of-court settlement with Cooper in 1985 in exchange for her discontinuing her legal actions against Scientology.
Present
Cooper has written a total of 14 books on a wide variety of subjects (see bibliography below).She is married to television producer Paul Noble. They live in Palm Beach, Florida
Palm Beach, Florida
The Town of Palm Beach is an incorporated town in Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. The Intracoastal Waterway separates it from the neighboring cities of West Palm Beach and Lake Worth...
in the winter and Fire Island, New York
Fire Island, New York
Fire Island is one of the outer barrier islands adjacent to the south shore of Long Island, New York. It is approximately long and varies between broad. Fire Island is part of Suffolk County. It comprises a number of hamlets, census-designated places , and villages, all of which lie within the...
in the summer. The couple has authored four books together.
Awards
In 1992, the American Society of Journalists and AuthorsAmerican Society of Journalists and Authors
The American Society of Journalists and Authors was founded in 1948 as the Society of Magazine Writers, and is an organization of independent nonfiction writers in the United States...
awarded her their highest honor, the prestigious Conscience-in-Media Award
Conscience-in-Media Award
The Conscience-in-Media Award is presented by the American Society of Journalists and Authors to journalists that the society deems worthy of recognition for their distinctive contributions. The award is not given out often, and is awarded to those journalists which the ASJA feels have...
. She has also won five other writing awards for her other books and numerous articles on a variety of subjects unrelated to cults.
External links
- Scientology documents about Paulette Cooper seized by the FBI.
- Paulette Cooper homepage
- Paulette Cooper's description of her frame-up
- The Scandal of Scientology by Paulette Cooper
Media
- The 1982 Clearwater Hearings, Day 4 - May 8, 1982